Happy Birthday

[Morishige]

Location: Ishikawa Compound

Setsuna stood in her room facing an open window, high on the third floor. She never really liked her birthday, at least not since her fifteenth. Naturally, that meant she was dreading leaving her room and heading downstairs to the party. She didn't mind the people who came as she knew most of them pretty well; it was the gifts that were the issue. It just did not seem necessary that people gives her gifts simply for being born.

She shook her head and turned towards her closet. Clothes for a young woman of her age mixed in with children's clothes that for some reason had never been thrown out. "Hmm." she grunted. That was another thing she never understood. Nostalgia. She grasped onto an old children's dress of hers and stared at it. "What do the others see in you that I don't?" she spoke softly. A minute passed before letting go of it and grabbing a regal looking dress. In a few more minutes she was out of her Kumo standard and standing in what would be considered the height of fashion at the time.

She felt somewhat naked with just this silken cloth resting on her body. Setsuna felt lighter than usual, the familiar weight of shuriken and kunai missing from her waist and ankles. She turned to look at the mirror nearby and shook her head. Hands moved deftly about her head apply what little make-up she wore and styling her hair in something the ladies of the Ishikawa would approve of.

Knock. Knock.

A woman at the door asking if everything was satisfactory. "Of course!" Setsuna called.

"It always is." she followed up quietly with a smile. Despite her distaste for this day, it did warm her heart to be at home.

For a moment she thought of her true home, far away on that island nation. And for that moment, she allowed herself to ponder the question. "What would father say if he could see me now?"

With a deep breath, she turned and exited the room.

About ten minutes passed and she had gotten through meeting most of the guests that had shown up on time, but it was about then she noticed her sibling was not there. "Typical." she laughed, not harboring any ill will. That was just the way Masaoko lived life. "It is kind of nice not having to have an eye trained on her all the time." Setsuna thought, smiling to herself before continuing to mingle in the crowd.

[MFT]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

“Oof! Oh shit! What time is it?” The figure frantically tore off the sheet of the bed, before gracefully catching their foot on a loose corner of the mattress cover and slamming onto the ground. Whoever shared their bed stirred, but when the the bedside lamp and a glass of water knocked over they truly woke.

“Mmmm, what’s the hurry?” Questioned the sleepy beauty as he furrowed deeper into the castle of pillows and sheets they had made. His sparkling blue eyes peered over the rim of a singular white pillow he clutched to his chest. It was cute. Like a kitten or… No focus, Masaoko!

The would-be escapee was squeezing into days old pants, jumping around to locate a shirt.

“My sister’s birthday is today and I’m late. Is this my shirt or yours? Whatever, its cute. I’m taking it.” The dark haired youth shrugged into a simple white shirt with obvious cuts to the sides, allowing the low hanging sleeves of the shirt to show off tasteful side boob. Their lover stifled a laugh.

“Good luck. She’s gonna be pissed. It’s like… Six already.” At that, Masaoko stubbed a toe on the table adjacent to the bed.

“What!? Ohshitohshitohshit, I’m like REALLY late.” Biting back the pain (stubbing your toe really hurts, okay? Masaoko would take a kunai to the gut over that any day) he shoved his feet in mismatch socks and a pair of brown boots. “Okay! How do I look?”

“Like you just woke up and are late to your sister’s birthday party?” Not helpful. Masaoko huffed and grabbed the leather jacket laying on the floor next to the bedroom door. That was the only item he remembered taking off the night before. As he slammed the door, the voice from the room shouted in protest. Okay, apparently that wasn’t his jacket.

Thankfully foot traffic wasn’t horrible this late into the day, not that it mattered much. Masaoko could easily take the roof tops. He enjoyed the roads though. Each and every store was alive, as well as the citizens who perused from shop to shop. Life was busy in Cloud, but Masaoko took moments to find a quiet peace shared between its villagers. A brief glimpse into that world reminded him of the long since gone days of Roenesia. Years had passed since their departure, still not a single day passed where Masaoko didn’t think of home. Not a moment passed where he didn't remembered his father’s final advice on the dock.

Change your stars.
One day, pops.

He hurried through a bakery, scrounging out the spare yen hidden away in the pockets of his new jeans to buy his sister a simple cupcake. Nothing extravagant, but he made sure to carefully pick a flavor she’d like. It was the thought that counted, after all! The miracle of Masaoko’s trek was keeping the cupcake in one piece while he jogged down the street to the Ishikawa complex.

The shinobi was greeted by the chidings of a female clansmen, who knew all too well to keep the gates open for their usual late guest. Masaoko flashed a pearly grin, the one that usual slipped him out of trouble. He could see his sister within the house, always the center of attention despite her so desperately not wanting to be. The younger Sanageyama knew every quirk, every look down to the last when it came to Setsuna. Right now, she served her usual aloof but polite self to the many guest. While distracted, Masaoko slipped in between the door and over to Kioku.

“Pssssst. How much trouble am I in?” But he didn’t complete his recon before Setsuna came sauntering over. Masaoko hid the pink box in his hands behind his back, smiling his usual goofy grin. Perhaps Masaoko milked the cute younger sibling card far too much, but don’t fix what isn’t broken. Especially with a responsible older sister like Setsuna.

“Heyyyyyy, Sis! Happy Birthday! I got you a cupcake!”
He presented it with a flourish.​

 

[Morishige]

Kio-papa looked down at his youngest daughter with a shake of the head accompanied by a smile. "You know better than to worry about her. It's that one you are going to get a scolding from later." he chuckled, pointing a long finger towards a woman in the sea of people. Kotaza just had this... look. Like she was maintaining an entire conversation without missing a beat and yet her eyes read like she was going to lecture Masaoko for the seventh time in six days. No doubt this sprung the young Sanageyama to bid her sister hello!

Suddenly, Setsuna was assaulted with that telltale tone in her sisters voice of what she considered an apology. In fact this scene may have gone this exact way multiple times before: Masaoko messing up somehow and making it up with a little gift in recompense.

For a moment Setsuna took some time to examine her sister, as if trying to decipher something about her in an instant. And then just as quickly, her attention turned to the box present to her. She reached down to grasp the pink container. "Oh how I love you my dearest Masaoko. No wrapping paper. No lettering. More late than usual. You obviously forgot this most atrocious day." she thought to herself before opening it up. Upon seeing what was inside she nearly cried.

It wasn't just a cupcake, it was a miniature cupcake which was obviously made with more care and consideration in it's manufacturing than Masaoko had probably put into any one thing this entire week. But that was just the type of present that Setsuna had considered acceptable for a day like this. On one hand she had received an ornate mirror gilded with real gold along the hand, and on the other, a rather forward young shinobi presented her with a pearl necklace that must have taken him months to save up for. But this cupcake, so simple and elegant, put those to shame. This one piece of confectionery which would exist in one moment, and then cease to be in an instant, would give her more joy than any of these other gifts could ever give her. That was what was so fantastic about her sister. In all her forgetfulness, she had simply stumbled upon the perfect present for Setsuna be mere luck!

The birthday girl took the cupcake from the box and slowly unwrapped the paper that surrounded it and held it under her nose for a second to smell the sweet frosting. She then stuck her tongue out with a slight curl and took the entire thing in her mouth, enveloping it all in her mouth as to savor the different flavors and textures all at once. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the treat and the corners of her lips formed a rare smile all for but a moment before she returned to the state she was in before.

A deep breath.

"Thank you for such a lovely gift, dearest sibling." she said almost sarcastically, her smile lingering for a moment before it disappeared. It was now she registered what Masaoko was wearing and could not contain the usual head shaking she had perfected when dealing with her sister. "I'm almost jealous, I would have been much more comfortable in what you are wearing than in this." she spoke, leaning over to whisper it into her ear. She could not insult the hard work the dressmaker put into it, as he was standing nearby.

"Would you share with me what kept you from attending my most marvelous birthday party?" she concluded, head turning slightly to give a half smile to Kio-papa. Setsuna had given him her word that she would be a perfect example of a happy and grateful girl if he promised to make this her last BIG birthday.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

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Masaoko beamed at his sister’s eagerness to unbox her present. Oh yeah, he knew his sister. Everyone else could suck it. His confident grin grew stronger as he watched his sister inhale the cupcake. The singular look of joy was enough for Masaoko. Any day he won a smile off her soured face was a win. That triumph was enough for the moment. It wasn’t so long ago a small Masaoko vowed to bring smiles on the people of Lightning Country. Setsuna had been his first victory, one he fought and reclaimed every day.

“Heh, yeah, you like my new jacket?” Masaoko teased, shrugging into the faded brown leather coat. It smelled of flowers strangely enough. Perhaps his romantic rendezvous had been with a Yamanaka? Masaoko should have known his sibling well enough to know that he wasn’t completely off the hook. The cupcake apparently wasn’t enough to free him. So, he found himself shrinking when she asked of his latest escapades. In front of, like, everyone. Gee thanks, Sis.

“Ohhh, eheheh… Well, ah… You see I- Ur, puo” Masaoko lamented, slipping into the native tongue of his homeland. “To put it simply, my elder and most gracious sister, the said problem that kept me had really beautiful eyes. You know, the kind you lose track of time in?” The last bit he huffed under his breath. Kotaza, deliberately, slowly made her way through the crowd towards Masaoko. Stopping every person or so to make pleasant conversation, but mostly to make Masaoko sweat it out.

“Oh man…” He ducked behind Kioku, only to be betrayed as his papa sidestepped allowing Kotaza direct line of sight once more. “C’mon! Sis, helpmeplease. Sissy, please. Sis- Hey! Auntie Taza, I didn’t see you there.”
They both knew it was a lie. Kotaza gave Masaoko the thrice over and shook her head.​

<COLOR color="#008000">”What in Raiden’s name are you wearing? Those socks don’t even match. You knew well in advance the proper attire and time, yet here we are-”
She’d probably have reached out and snatched him by the ear, had it not been for the interruption of another guest asking about her father.

“I will have a talk with you before you leave today.”
She warned with quite a cross frown. It evaporated as she smiled to both Setsuna and Kioku, then turned on her heels towards the crowd to engage in pleasantries.

“Like hell.” Masaoko whispered, sticking his tongue out at the backside of Kotaza. “She couldn’t catch me if she tried.”​

 

[Morishige]

Setsuna watched as her sibling squirmed under the question. She repressed a smile that wanted to be let free, but only because it was part of the game.

Some years ago, in an academy far far away, a question was posed to a young Setsuna one afternoon. Her teacher had become increasingly frustrated with her due to her lack of... interest in any one thing in particular. "What hobbies do you have?" they asked.

"Hobbies?"

"Yes, things that you enjoy doing at home. Something you do when you are bored; anything that you do to entertain yourself."

"Well, if I'm bored I just go and study for school the next day."

Needless to say, the teachers frustration continued, however Setsuna's lack of a hobby did not. If that question was posed to her today, then she would surely have admitted to... what's the word? Trolling her sister. She enjoyed putting pressure on Masaoko. Not only did it get a rise out of that uncouth sister of hers, but it allowed Setsuna to enjoy a moment when it would otherwise would be drab and dull. There were countless drab and dull moments indeed. Such was the status quo with a young woman like herself.

In any case, Masaoko revealed the true nature of her tardiness, like it could have been anything different. Setsuna allowed herself to laugh, covering her mouth in modesty. "I do wish to experience these time traveling eyes that you so often seem to find, Masaoko." she spoke in a strange questioning tone as her sibling seemed to hide behind Kio-papa. Setsuna's head tilted in curiosity before turning to find the source of her fear.

"Hello Auntie." she said as the woman approached before leaning towards her sister to give one final rhetorical comment before the berating began. "Sorry, I could not help even if I wanted to. If only you had a pair of those time traveling eyes..."

It was over as soon as it began. Perhaps Masaoko really had a pair of magical iris' hidden away, because he was saved by the grace of an inquisitive guest.

"Be careful Masaoko," warned his sister. "Of all the enemies, I fear Auntie Taza would be one of the few who really could catch you if she tried. Pardon, Kio-papa." she said in a hushed toned before bowing respectfully to Kioku.

"Worry not child. Just let me have the rest of your skewer and all will be forgiven." he japed in a holier than thou tone, reaching his hand out to take the offering. Setsuna had not realized her own acquisition of yakitori negima in the events leading up to this moment, so she was happy to give it up as if she never had anything in the first place. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must go check on the how the dinner is coming along." he finished and walked away, leaving the sisters by themselves in a sea of people.

"I am glad you arrived, no matter how late it may have been." Setsuna said, her tone becoming distant. "...I was thinking of father today. I wonder if he knows what day it is or if he knows of his daughters at all. I have made an effort into learning whether Kio-papa has conversed with him, and as far as I am privy, that answer has turned up negative."

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Majima Goro, junior partnership-track tax attorney with Edgeworth, Wright, & von Karma LLP, knocked on the door of the Ishikawa compound. After being greeted by the sentry on duty, Goro presented his business card (properly, with two hands), which was received with the appropriate level of politeness (again, with two hands), and was let in the compound. He'd been dispatched from the firm's office in Port Cirrus all the way to the isolated prison-school called Kumogakure just that morning, and was eager to get back to the coastal metropolis. Compared to Kumo's freezing solitude, Port Cirrus was blessed with temperate weather and the chance to spot Donado of Oranji, the new chancellor of Lightning, engaging in his favorite and seemingly only activity: golfing.

The sentry quickly showed Goro to where his intended targets were, announced his arrival, and let the attorney in the door. From the looks of it, Goro was interrupting a birthday party. But all was to be forgiven with that he had in store for them.

"Domo," he greeted them with a polite bow. "My name is Majima, an attorney with Edgeworth, Wright, and von Karma, Port Cirrus branch office. I'm here to obtain authorization from trustees Sanageyama Masaoko and Sanageyama Setsuna, to start receiving their bequests from trust benefactor Lord Tsutsukakushi Natsu of Roenesia. Once I have your signatures, our firm will start transferring the funds from escrow to your preferred designated account. The first payment of twenty thousand taels of silver* will be followed by an equal amount for each subsequent month for the sum of three hundred years or until the end of the trustees' lifespan, whichever shall come first. The bequests are contingent on the approval of a designated trust custodian, who shall be named forthwith as soon as authorization has been obtained."

From his briefcase, Goro slapped down two vellum copies of an ominous-looking contract, and with equal flourish, produced a fountain pen.

"If I could have your signatures on the dotted line..."

*20,000 silver taels works out to roughly $400,000 USD or 40,000,000 JPY

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Everyone would say Masaoko was the mischievous sibling, everyone is wrong. Without a doubt, Masaoko knew Setsuna had a penchant for egging on just about anyone. To place blame on her was nigh impossible though. She was such a thoughtful and socially conscious young woman on the outside, but her sibling was convinced that Setsuna’s sole purpose in life was to troll him.

It came as no shock when Setsuna was willing to throw him to the sharks. Still hurt, though. Fortunately for him, the room was filled with esteem guests and his auntie could not resist being a polite member of society, also. Although his sister was probably right, Masaoko liked to think himself invincible to the inevitable punishment Kotaza threatened to smack down upon him.

“Traitor…” Masaoko sourly mumbled after Kioku as he shuffled away with his yakitori.

Of course his sister had been thinking of him. On this day, of all days, it was hard not to. His smile faded as he stared off elsewhere away from his sister. Always so distant. Always in thought. It must be hard to be the cold depth of the ocean. Masaoko sometimes wondered what exactly Setsuna felt. Hard to grasp her feelings when all he could see was the surface most days. Was she sad that her father gave them up? Grateful? Or perhaps anger smoldered under that cold gaze.

“I’m sure he is thinking of you, Sis. He wouldn’t forget.” He wasn’t so sure he even bought that. “He’s ANBU, you know how that is. Letters can’t go in and out for security reasons… Probably.” Masaoko often thought of catching a boat ride to Roenesia, but that was hardly changing his stars. He owed his father that one last wish. Besides, what if his father had forgotten him after all?

He shook his head.

“Pop loved us, that’s why he gave us to Kio-Papa. I know he’s always thinkin’ of us. The best we can do is honor his wish that we change our stars, Kaikua’ana.” He placed a firm hand on his sister’s shoulder and gave another famous smile.

He wanted to gauge his sister further, but interruption came from an unexpected guest. One that neither of them recognized. For a moment, he crossed his colorfully tattooed arms, playing along with the man. However, all the jargon caught Masaoko without a clue. The only words that registered were benefactor, Roenesia, signatures, and… Twenty thousand taels of silver!?

“Whoa, man. You’ve lost me. In Common this time, please. He cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side. The bangles within the plaits of his hair chimed ever so softly at even the slightest motion.

“You’re saying some dude on Roenesia left us a, ‘scuse me, a metric shit ton of money? Why?”​

 

[Morishige]

Words meant to comfort her failed their mission. As always, Setsuna's emotion state was as resolute and unyielding as the walls of the great Village Hidden in the Cloud. She appreciated the efforts of her sibling even though he continued to subscribe to the dream of changing his stars.

"Words meant to comfort a child being stolen from their home." she thought to herself. Not that she did not appreciate Kioku and the people who had helped them all these years. In fact, she did not resent her father in the slightest for giving them up; though at one point she might have. She was smart enough to understand what had happened all those years ago. Setsuna was grateful to her father. If not for him, they would have grown up in the slums of Roenesia. If anything, it was simply leaving with Kioku all those years ago that changed their stars.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by what she assumed to be a guest; she was prepared to play her role as the thankful birthday girl, but he was not a guest at all. He was an attorney. She bowed as he did and listened to what he had to say.

"A trust?"

"Lord... who?"

"T-twenty thousand!?" she choked on her breath. She was not often caught off guard, but this was... how do you say, a special case. She quickly started doing the math in her head as he explained that there was even more. This was not some simple long lost inheritance from some third cousin twice removed.

Upon conclusion, he slammed the paperwork on the nearest table to them and produced a pen, as if expecting they were going to sign without reading the fine print of the contract. Masaoko interjected first, as he usually did. Unfortunately, his question was far too simple to please Setsuna's own skepticism to the unforeseen development. "Why is a fine start Masaoko. However, Majima-san, supplementary information is required to successfully persuade us to sign a legal document such as this." she began. Setsuna cleared her throat and proceeded with her own requests for particulars pertaining to the agreement.

"First off, who is this Lord benefactor you spoke of and why does he have a personal interest in my sibling and I? Secondly, who and what is a trust custodian and why do they have a hand in how we spend our capital when we, or rather I, am of age in the eyes of the law? Thirdly, how are taxes handled in regards to this exorbitant amount of funds? Fourthly, how much time do we have to pour over and analyze the text before we must make a resolution regarding the contract? And finally, why is the trust set up to deliver funds in amounts for up to three hundred years when conventional wisdom dictates that individuals live at most no longer than 120 years? I can say with certainty that I would not pen my name without a change in the agreement regarding the distribution of the sums, and perhaps, a clause stating at a certain age this... trust custodian rendered inert and complete control of the funds be passed onto myself. "

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Kids and their questions... Each was annoying in its own right, but the two combined were cause of many an attorney's headache throughout the history of law practice. Then again, Goro thought to himself, he wasn't paid a single yen more by the managing partners to get pissed off about anything, so it more economical to keep his irritation in check. And, on a fundamental level, he could sympathize--any transaction involving a large amount of money was itself inherently suspicious, and doubly so when it came from the governor of Roenesia.

"If you two will give me a moment, I shall explain as best I can." He retrieved his reading monocle from his breast pocket and affixed it. With practiced deftness, his spidery fingers started to sift the vellum pages apart.

"Where to begin... First of all, both copies are identical--one will be yours to keep, and the other will go back to the firm for storage in our vaults. Second, what I have here for you is a contract drawing up a legal entity called a 'trust.' These trusts differ from legal inheritances in that most inheritances are put into effect when the funding party dies, whereas a trust may be executed while the funding party still lives, and is thus operated according to the funding party's wishes. The funder of this trust is the governor of Roenesia, Lord Tsutsukakushi Natsu. He is one of the wealthiest men in the country, whose financial empire is fueled by Roenesian sugar and tobacco. He is also the one who dictates the terms of the trust. If you wish to renegotiate its terms, you may do so at any point, but you will need to speak with him directly. My firm has not been given authorization to represent him in that capacity."

Goro turned to a new section.

"The way it works is simple: fulfill certain expectations, and get paid. If you do not fulfill those expectations, you will not be paid. In my brief analysis of the contract, I would opine that you two are getting a 'good deal.' Some trust fund contracts demand unrealistic expectations in exchange for continued payment: perfect grades, arranged marriage partners, siring of specific genders or numbers of children, or confinement to certain cities or countries. Your...main requirement for continued receipt of monthly payments is that your custodian sends a regular report on your activities to Lord Natsu. Oh...and a word about that. Typically, trusts also rely on a custodian--a party designated by the funder--to enforce the terms of the trust. The custodian may decide if the recipients are fulfilling the requirements of the trust, and may independently decide to continue or stop payment. To do so, they will contact our firm. Once again, we are simply a middleman. All terms of the trust are ultimately dictated by Lord Natsu. Since he's not here and we can't represent him, I would encourage you to confer with your custodian with any more questions. Lord Natsu indicated that he knew her quite long and well and trusts her judgment, for what that's worth. She's another shinobi in this village, a few years senior, not Ishikawa clan. Ah, here's her name. 'Takaki Saeko.'"

Meanwhile...​

A short time ago, at an intersection not too far away...

I, Takaki Saeko, chuunin of the Main Branch, Hand of the Sennin, and leader ex officio of the House Santaru, hold up a cardboard sign with "Homeless! Anything Helps! God Bless!" scrawled on it in black sharpie and ornamented with hearts and smileys. I've done my best to replicate the cheerful lines of comic-sans, because that's what normies really like to see on their powerpoints and term papers, you see.

As another wagon comes to a stop beside me, I smile and extend my dingy styrofoam cup toward it. The family inside hurriedly closes the shutter and pretends not to see me. I've been standing out here now for about five hours and I've made about 50 JPY. Today's my lucky day, though. I can feel it!

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

The one thing that’s a constant in Masaoko’s life, Setsuna. He counted on her for everything. Ever since they were small, without a doubt, she was his sole protector. She had a mind unlike any other. Perhaps she received such intelligence from their deceased mother, the native woman who died just after Masaoko was born. Her wisdom gave her insight into many situations that Masaoko never thought to question further than a simple ‘why’ or ‘what’. Even now, she was five steps ahead of him and probably anyone else in the room.

A cold calculating mind, with the articulation of high nobility.

He wondered where he went wrong? Perhaps he didn’t care enough. Masaoko admitted at times he was quite jealous of her. On the bright side, he had one characterization she didn’t… Freedom. Even now, she played the ever dutiful sister, taking charge of the situation and grilling the poor lawyer with the gunfire questions. Masaoko thought to slip out of his immaturity, if only to grasp the situation for his benefit. So, he crossed his arms, sinking quietly into thought as Goro laid out what exactly was happening.

This certainly turned out to be quite the eventful birthday for Setsuna.

The lawyer failed to answer any vital questions though, but he filled in the legalities without bluster. The whole situation was exciting. Nothing ever happened like this to just anyone. Masaoko buzzed with contained impulse. Deep down, he wanted to sign this contract without further exploration. To see where this would take him and his sister, blindly. An adventure. The roll of the dice. That moment before a dealer flips the card to reveal a bust or a billion.

“Whadda think, Sis? It’s not like you have a hard time fulfilling anyone’s expectations, anyway. My dude, Majima, here looks like he don’t know much beyond what he’s given us.” He interlocked his fingers behind his head, resting the back of his skull on his palms while giving his sister a sweet smile. His eyes begged permission, usually the look that superseded a dangerous situation Masaoko would rather dive head first into.

“We can find this… Saeko and shake her down for answers later. C’mon, let’s gamble. What’s a birthday party without a little… partying?” He gave his sister one last pout before picking up a pen. Should she interject with a command, he’d grumpily stop from signing, but Masaoko was here to take risks.​

 

[Morishige]

"Lord Tsutsukakushi Natsu."

He was the one who funded the trust, and, he was the one they needed to meet to change how it operated. The governor of the island from which they originated. "Did we just get lucky one day? The de facto leader of Roenesia just randomly picked a pair of children to bequeath his hard earned assets? No... There must be more to it. There are no such things as coincidences."

She committed the name and the short blurb of information regarding him to memory.

It rapidly became apparent that he did not know the information that she would want to know, but that being said, the deal was not the worst he had been involved in, according to him. He went on to explain the singular requirement in their case and then, either deliberately or by mistake, addressed one of her concerns: the custodian. They were simply there to enforce the requirement that is mandated by the agreement. With the information that Majima-san had just explained, the deal did not seem all that horrible as she once assumed. It seemed Masaoko seemed to agree with her and was ready to jump in without testing the waters first.

"Stay your hand, sibling dearest. I have one more concern." she said with a feeling of resolution in her voice. "I would like to meet the woman known as Takaki Saeko. I have come across her in name only but I am confident that my associates can help us pinpoint her locale. If I find her to be satisfactory, then I will sign these contracts. That means," she paused to look at Goro. "Majima-san will be accompanying us on our search. Let me help you."

Setsuna would assist him with the second copy of the contract so as to make it easier to put them back into his briefcase. "I do humbly apologize for being such a nuisance, however, in your line of work I can only presume you have dealt with worse." she said, leading the pair of them towards the exit of the building. As she passed one of the few guards on duty, she procured a headset and tuned into a specific frequency. Like Masaoko, this was all very exciting to her. However, one would not see more than a slight upturn in the corners of her mouth.

In time, and with the help of others, they were able to find a location of her last siting. There in the marketplace stood Setsuna in a dress much too beautiful for an outing such as this, Masaoko in her garb which was much more appropriate than when at the party, and the poor Goro who probably prayed every morning that the day would be easier than the last. "We are looking for someone black of hair. And I quote, kind of crazy. Apparently that's enough to find her by so, good luck." she concluded and then moved off to look for this... Takaki Saeko.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

"Friends! Friends!" I wave cheerfully at a group of passing genin and show them my sign. "Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Jesus Saito?"

Most of them quickly pretend to look at something else--you know, that sky, a bird, a glinting piece of trash--and shuffle by. One of the boys in the group looks my direction and opens his mouth, only to be jostled into silence by one of the girls. "Don't talk to her!" she admonishes her beau. "She just wants to steal your kidneys or something!"

I jangle my cup at an older pair walking along, to which the woman reaches into her purse and drops a ten-yen coin in! "There, there, sweetie," she says. "You should go home to your parents as soon as you can."

"Thank you, obaa-san," I say with a sniffle. "But, just like Bruce Wayne, my parents are dead and I'm pregnant."

"Batman was a man, sweetie. Men don't get pregnant."

"Shows how much you know," I object. "My gender studies degree told me otherwise!"

"And that's why you're homeless and knocked up," the old woman says with a smirk. God, I love elderly women. They have the sickest of burns. I part ways with her with a smile. So far, 60 JPY rattle around in my cup. If I want to make quota for this month, I'm gonna have to step up my game, though.

I'm right about to start packing up and moving on to my next hotspot (the curb in front of the local Hoshibucks Coffee joint) when I see an odd trio approaching me. In fact, they're not just coincidentally passing along the way, but seriously gunning right for me. Two of them look like shitty teenagers and the third is a one-eyed lawyer-type with a briefcase and a permanent scowl plastered on his face. The rational part of my broken brain tries to tell me to run, but the part that treats life like bad anime is already jangling my cup at them.

"Hi kids and...dad! I'm trying to catch the last bus out of town, but I literally need like three fiddy for the ticket! Can you spare some for a poor broke girl?"

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

”Just because he’s dealt with worse, doesn’t mean you’re not one of the worst.” Masaoko teased, with an unenthused pout. He handed back the pen with much chagrin. So close to those jingling silver taels. Yet his sister couldn’t help but view this all from a logical standpoint. Typical. He, for one, didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. When was the last time anything exciting happened? He pondered this on their way downtown, almost scared that Setsuna was able to locate one person in such short time.

Black of hair, kind of crazy. “So, you mean you?” Her little sibling teased once again, crinkle up his nose and sticking out his tongue when she inevitably shot him a glare. Masaoko continued sulking as the search went on for this… Saeko. The irony of her name wasn’t lost on Masaoko as he laid eyes on their would-be custodian. He wasn’t sulking so much anymore.

Perhaps things wouldn’t continue to be boring as he had feared.

“This is seriously her?” He questioned the lawyer as she jangled her cup out towards them. “She’s in charge of all of it?” He paused and then smirked, “Oh, I’m so in.”​

 

[Morishige]

Masaoko was salty, but he would get over it. Setsuna often ended up ruining her sibling's fun, earning herself the grand title of Party Pooper. But that was not going to stop her from doing what she knew to be the correct course of action. While Masaoko was her weakness, it did not mean her nature faltered just because he wanted to have a little fun.

That being said, it seemed Saeko was just the type of person to play into Masaoko's nature. They came across her speaking in vernacular that suited her role, seemingly unaware of who they were and what they were doing there. The poor woman was out panhandling for some reason that even Setsuna would not allow herself to assume.

Thankfully, Masaoko spoke just as Setsuna would have predicted him to do so. It was one trait that Setsuna was grateful to be able to use effectively, that is, her predictability. While one might have thought her spectrum would make it hard to do so, the basal hedonism in her siblings heart made it very easy. Like in all things, it came with it's pros and cons. Twas the former in this case.

Setsuna shook her head and looked at the sad looking woman. "Takaki Saeko, my name is Sanageyama Setsuna and this is my sibling Masaoko. The fine gentlemen next to us is Majima-san, an attorney with a Port Cirrus firm executing our trust. You have been named custodian of the trust. Your responses are necessary for me to pen my name upon this agreement." she said firmly.

"I would like to know why you believe you were named custodian of our trust, and, if you have any information on why a Lord Tsutsukakushi would name us recipients of a vast financial fortune when we have nothing in common aside from the origin of our birth. Oh, and forgive me for asking, but I do believe we are all wondering: why are you out here panhandling for spare change?"

 

[Takaki Saeko]

"I..." my face screws up in one of those half-smiles-half-sneezes that you get when confronted with a viscerally unpleasant and unwelcome stimulus. Like a gun going off right next to your face, or hearing a fat sibling masturbate, or being trapped in a port-a-potty with bees. Or, in my case, realizing who these two kids are. "You've totally got the wrong person!" I say to them, while trying to back away. "Takaki Saeko, uh, died offscreen in Bora Bora! My name is...Shinrya Kitsune! See, I'm out here panhandling because I'm a struggling actress and I've auditioned eleven times for The Lion King without success!"

I grab hold of a nearby stray cat, hold it high in the air, and burst into my best goddamned falsetto: "Waaaaaaaa shabooobooo, Sanjayaaaaaaaaah!"

I think the lawyer's trying to wave a cease-and-desist order at me. Which is all well and good, because the last thing I want is to turn this into a musical interlude. Of course, most people would instantly start walking away--sometimes even moonwalking--but unluckily for me, Miss Prom Queen doesn't seem to take the hint. In fact, she keeps talking. And badgering. And talking. Before I can think of how best to turn tail and shake these three off and then get out of town for a year, the stray kitty hisses and sinks its tiny little fangs into my hand. I drop it and the creature darts away into an alley

"Yow! Fuck! Why can't you be cool, Simba?" I shout at it, before trying to suck the kitty venom from my injured parts. "Gee, thanks, kids. Now I'm gonna get cat-AIDS on top of my Hep! You know Chancellor Donado just killed Hayatacare, so now I'm screwed. You trust-fund babies, on the other hand, have nothing to worry about. Natsu's overlord of his own little banana republic, so he can pay for your poor life choices! He gets to relax in his coco cabana while I'm out here panhandling for the sake of national security. By the way, you got three-fiddy or not?"

I jangle my cup at them.

"Miss," the lawyer interjects, "I'm on a tight schedule here. Will you please just answer Sanageyama-san's question? To be honest, I'm having difficulty understanding why you've been named custodian as well."

"He probably thinks that just because I slept with him once that I'm in the mood to watch over his stupid kids. Did he conveniently forget that he also tried to have me killed? What a shithead. Oh, of course, this is what Takaki Saeko would say, if she weren't dead in Bora Bora. I'm just a struggling actress."

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

His sister wanted to be all business, but how could she possibly when she stared madness personified in the face. Neither seemed to hold the other in regard as one spouted nonsense and the other ignored her opponent to wrangle out the answers she needed. Perhaps they needed and bridge, or perhaps Masaoko would just let the shit show keep rolling. It was much more entertaining this way.

It was so obvious that this had to be Saeko based on her mental description given to Setsuna. As the petite, probably-a-yandere vagrant lifted a stray alley cat and began her little recital, Masaoko couldn’t help but be completely in love. The younger Sanageyama clapped for Saeko, despite his sister’s exasperated glare. Please let her play for both teams, he thought in the darkest depths of his mind. Ya know, the place that usually tells you to jump from the stairs just to see if you’d kill yourself.

On second thought…

“The Hep? Ah man…” He lamented under his breath, just loudly enough for the three to hear if they listened closely. It seemed Majima was at the end of his line and the first to interject and rein back the insanity of the situation. But the situation was about to get much worse. Way worse than kitty-AIDS, failed auditions, and hobos.

The bomb dropped in the most anti-climatic version possible.

“Hold the fuck up.” Masaoko interjected, in a tone probably more calm than incredulous. He kept a good hold on his emotions, mainly because he wasn’t sure if he should believe a panhandling hobo. “This Lord Tsutsu-kooky isn’t our father. Sanageyama Haseo is. Are you sure there isn’t some mix up at the office, Majima? I mean is she even of sound mind to be custodian of this money?”​

 

[Morishige]

Her contact was correct. This woman was indeed insane.

Before them was a performance worthy of the Lion King itself. If the eldest Sanageyama had believed any of it, she would have marched right over to the theater and demand that she be placed in the production immediately. Unfortunately, Setsuna was a skeptic. She watched, unimpressed by Saeko's display, and looked to Majima as he urged Saeko to take things seriously. And, it seemed that she did not take kindly to the audience ignoring all the hard work she had done. What little information she had, she proffered to the siblings in a disgruntled manner.

Setsuna would have sympathized with the poor woman about her plight dealing with the good Lord if she did not reveal a juicy little tidbit about him being their father.

She tilted her head ever so slightly. Her brow furrowed slightly accompanied by the blinking of her eyes a few times. It was obvious her mind was at work trying to sort this into the few facts she had about the situation. Thankfully, Masaoko took charge. There wasn't much more to add until that simple question was answered.

Setsuna watched patiently, attempting to piece together a phrase that would goad Saeko into speaking coherently and with purpose.

"Enough wasting our time. Unless you would like to accompany us back to Roenesia, I would speak plainly about the situation. What evidence do you have to support this claim?"

 

[Takaki Saeko]

The gravity of my slip-up hits me like a truckload of greased lightning, and I mean each and every part of that confusing metaphor. Takaki Saeko, you've gone and fucked yourself yet again, and definitely not in the healthy and pleasurable way, but in the oh god oh god it burns it burns get it off me why am I such a retard way. The secret of the Sanageyama siblings' origins was supposed to be something I took to my grave. Even Osu, with the unfortunate gigantic tumor--I mean library--stuck in his head, keeps that shit under lock and key better than I have.

In the middle of my mini-panic I also wonder why Natsu himself has chosen to spill the beans, much less in the form of a trust lawyer sent to give the kids a decent chunk of the Roenesian fortune. It was obvious that he never really cared about his children. Those kids were, to him, a reminder of the fact that Haruka's heart couldn't be bought, begged-for, or even stolen by any man on this earth. She ended up cucking him badly, and he hated her with a passion only reserved for those one has loved.

Well, I'm curious but I'm also incredibly pissed. I'd been--in moments of drunkenly withdrawing from the spank bank--sort of entertaining the motion of forgiving him. Yes, you can forgive someone for trying to kill you, your friends, and your reputation. But, holy shit, I can never forgive someone for making me their godrotting babysitter without asking me! That's just plain immoral!

"Oh hush, Prom Queen!" I snap at the girl in the party dress. "No one threatens me with an unwanted tropical vacation! I'll scream 'halal snackbar!' and 'I got bird flu!' really loudly on the boat and then we'll be stuck in port for thirty hours straight and all the while, they won't even let us get up from our seats to take a pee!"

I cross my arms and pout. When that doesn't make them go away, I finally relent.

"Fine. Look, I'll make a deal with you kids. In exchange for you never, ever bothering me again with your emotional problems from what I'm about to say, I'll be straight with you. Also, I'm not telling you anything about your mother. No matter what. Not even if you threaten to neck yourselves. Come on, Counselor, let's get these kids somewhere to sit down. Somewhere that serves hard drinks. You're buying, by the way."

* * *​

We finally end up at a nearby Shiro Castle. I hungrily tear into a plate of dry, crumbly sliders and chug my beer, because panhandling all day tends to work up an appetite. Unlike other fast food joints, this one has an actual wet bar. I'm told it was a sort of underhanded 'fuck you' to Hayata Shin and his healthy juice bars in the Torre Celeste. The twins each have a tumbler full of whisky in front of them. I don't care if they don't drink or like whisky. After they hear what I'm going to say, they'll start liking it, and fast.

"Not having one, Counselor?" I ask the lawyer, who shakes his head. "Fine, whatever. Not your life I'm about to cock-punch. Alright, Prom Queen and Shitlord Jr., listen up because I'll only say this once. Your dad isn't Lieutenant Sanageyama Haseo of the ANBU. He may have raised you, sure, but he's not the one who should've just came into a sock instead of sticking it in your mom. Your biological father is Shitlord Tsutsukakushi Natsu, the marquess and overlord poobah of Roenesia. The same guy who keeps your people..." I notice the grungy one's sleeve of tattoos "...in basic slavery. Now you're gonna ask what proof do I possibly have of this claim. Well, if the fact that he's giving you all his money in a drawn-out inheritance doesn't make you suspicious, then I'm a hundred percent sure that Counselor's firm has exactly three sets of notarized letters patent of nobility with your names on them, sitting nicely in their safe. And that Counselor has also brought two of copies to accompany the trust packets, which you all didn't even fuckin' read before trying to sign, Shitord Jr. am I right?"

The lawyer breathes deeply and nods. He opens the trust packet to the back, to Appendix A, and shows the twins. There, transcribed on vellum, are their letters patent, signed and sealed by Shogun Shiranai vi Kaminari himself.

"Oh! Look at that! You're both barons. The lowest piddly-ass rank available!" I chortle with laughter. "The council of nobles used to sell those for a million yen a pop! I think I bought one for an ex boyfriend as a joke, just to jack his taxes up and piss him off! Well, that shows that your daddy clearly intends for you to succeed him, but he's not handing you the carriage keys yet. By the way, if you weren't listening before, a noble rank is a tax trap. Congratulations: you now owe the Shogun ten percent of your gross income before the Raikage's tithe. See why taxation is theft?"

The lawyer scratches his chin thoughtfully as he regards me with his one, cool eye. "Hmm. I may have been mistaken about you."

"Thanks, bae," I tell him. "But I've got a boyfriend already. Anyway, kids, letters patent are pretty much proof of parentage, too. So if you don't think Natsu's your daddy, I don't know what to tell you. Lemme look more at this shit..."

I grab one of the packets and skim through it, pretending to suss out the details but in reality trying to make sure that Haruka's name isn't mentioned anywhere within. Fortunately, letters patent only list the parents' names if they were nobility themselves. Haruka was a commoner, so she's thankfully not mentioned. "Oh! Goro-kun," I say, using the lawyer's name now that I've caught it. "You probably went and told them that like, they're getting twenty thousand taels a month, eh? But if you figure in taxes and tithes and escrow and fees, the figure's cut down by a lot. I mean, probably still more than Yuii's cookie budget, but still not enough to make it so they can buy a yacht every day."

"I believe that it was probably Lord Natsu's attempt to force them to visit him one day," Goro says. "I typically see this with trust executors who have...less than ideal relations with their recipients."

"And...typical. Natsu didn't even see fit to pay me for my services as custodian. You realize that if I just refuse to send these reports, the kids get jack shit?"

"Probably Lord Natsu's way of...if I might guess, forcing you into his presence again. I surmise that if you deprive my clients of their inheritance, they might see fit to bring you to Roenesia against your will."

"Ew, fuck that. If all I have to do to avoid him is write letters about what kind of turds the kids are making, then fine. Well, kids, I've said my piece. If you want to get Natsu's money, go ahead and sign. You might even get to see your shitty dad early and give him a piece of your mind. Or, you can turn down the offer and probably lead much more productive and happy lives."

[Heaven or Hell?]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Masaoko felt the entirety of his emotions want to blurt out every single thought that raced through his mind, and yet he remained silent. Silent because he couldn’t grasp what was said. How many times will the world fall apart and reform, expecting him to just go along with the flow? How many times would he and his sister be passed on to the next family?

He just flat out refused to give this Natsu the title of father. No money could ever fix that. Not when Haseo had given his life for them. Not when Kioku had stepped up and found it in his heart to take two little girls away from a war torn island to give them a chance at a better life. People like Natsu deserved to rot in hell. He’d never be worthy to stand at Kioku and Haseo’s side.

Masaoko found it hard to swig back his whiskey today. Maybe it’d numb the dizziness in his head, but something told him to keep a steady hand. Now wasn’t the time to abandon Setsuna. It was so like him to leave her all the responsibility, but not today. He owed his sister that much. Even if he could barely keep up with Saeko’s rapid fire talk of legality and nobility, he’d try to concentrate.

For a moment, Masaoko failed to hide his smirk. Saeko proved her capability when it seemed to matter. Spouting nonsense one minute, the next…
Well, she certainly wasn’t without her strange nuances. But it didn’t alleviate the situation much.

A man who left them to live in poverty. A man who was too cowardly to see them in person. A man who kept Masaoko’s people in slavery. A man who couldn’t be bothered to send them any letters… Scratch that last bit. The familiar feeling of that phrase sent a stinging pain down Masaoko’s throat. Haseo wasn’t like Natsu. Still, it had been nearly twelve years and not a word. Nevermind the old man though. Masaoko was forced to face the realization that a man like Natsu was his father, and nothing would ever change that…

Fuck him.

Fuck this.

What was so wrong about us that you couldn’t tell us yourself?

He spared his sister and Saeko the outburst that bubbled near the surface. Saeko specifically requested not to hear any whiney bullshit. And Setsuna never allowed herself the luxury of emotion.

He gazed at his sister through his childlike stare, wondering; How can she be so calm? Will she sign it?

He didn’t want to. He’d never agree to this. Money wasn’t worth this. They got along just fine up to this point. The daring part of Masaoko needed to reject the situation. However, the rare and quiet Masaoko sat at this table. Helpless. Unable to find agency. He’d do what Setsuna wanted, because he trusted her. He'd go through fire and brimstone to make her smile. Anything to please her because she had given so much to him. The only person in this world who understood just who Masaoko was. Anything...

Even if it meant...

[Hell]​

 

[Morishige]

"Prom Queen?"

It was that retort that made Setsuna realized she was sorely out of place because of what she was wearing, though, there was not anything that she could do about that now. They were neck deep in the rabbit hole and about to be swallowed up, in all meanings of the phrase. The poor siblings were not prepared for what was to be revealed to them, and only time would tell if they would come to regret having followed the white rabbit.

Fortunately, Saeko seemed to be ready to cooperate, but not without creating more questions; or rather, creating one more question. "Why mention our mother?" It seemed likely there was more to the tale they were about to lend and ear for. Apparently the information about their mother was all the more secretive than that of their father. Which, to Setsuna, seemed incredibly off-putting considering their father was the governor of Roenesia and quite literally one of the richest men on the planet. If the man whom they thought was their father was not, then...

"Who is our mother?"​

***​

Setsuna looks to the whiskey in front of her apathetically before turning her gaze towards Saeko. It seemed she felt the need to order this alcohol for Sanageyama Siblings whilst ordering herself a healthy portion of food and drink as if she had not eaten in three days time. Mayhaps the assumption was true, but Setsuna allowed it no time to cloud her thoughts. There were serious implications at play.

To say her manner of speaking was refreshing would be pushing it, however, Setsuna wished more people would speak as this Takaki Saeko. It was direct and to the point, with a few crude pieces of vernacular thrown in. Fortunately, this meant she wasted to time in summoning forth documentation that Goro forgot about, or chose to withhold; Setsuna reserved judgement regarding this given the weight of the facts laid out before her. She stared at the documents signed by the shogun himself.

Her expression turned sour. Such thing was uncommon for Setsuna. Her eyebrows tilted inward and her posture shifted, head tilted downward as she stared at Saeko who seemed to be having some kind of fun in this whole ordeal. The lawyer and crazy lady conversed for a bit, giving Setsuna time to look at how Masaoko was reacting to all of this.

Not well it seemed. Setsuna reached out to grasp one of his under the table, demonstrating her unwavering support to him. They would make it through whatever chaos this... mess threw into their future.

Silence followed after Saeko's conclusion. The eldest seemed to be considering what had just happened and the pros and cons of what signing those papers would mean. Thankfully, Setsuna could accurately assume what was probably going through her dear siblings head having known her so well. Those calculating eyes shifted to stare into Masaoko's for but a half-second before slowly shutting, accompanied by a deep inhale and long exhale.

A decision had been made.

"We will sign." she said, sticking the hand not occupied by Masaoko's out across the for Goro's pen. And before Masaoko could say anything, she looked at him and spoke again. "Signing doesn't make him any more or less our father than before. We know who loves us and who was there for us. Besides, capital like that is far better in our hands than in his, or some account just sitting their. We can utilize it in ways he never would. Setsuna finished before an idea seemed to pop into her head.

"And, if Saeko is cooperative, then perhaps these reports could be altered in our favor when it benefits us. I must admit, I apologize, I do not have an example currently of how we would do this, but it is a thought I felt like sharing." she paused and then exhaled quickly. "I digress. The pen, Majima-san."

[MFT]